Exploring Emotional Intelligence and Its Effects on Students' Academic Performance in Universities

The purpose of the current cross-sectional research study was to analyze the effects of emotional intelligence (EI) on the academic performance of students at universities. The investigation population covered 5,859 students from public sector universities. A sample of 200 students was selected through simple random sampling from different departments within the Faculty of Social Sciences from the three public universities of Multan district in South Punjab, Pakistan. The Schulte Emotional Intelligence Scale served as the standardized data collection. The research investigation employed descriptive statistics using mean and standard deviation, inferential measures, t-tests, and regression for data analysis. The findings reveal a significant positive relationship between emotional intelligence and academic performance, with no notable gender differences. The study emphasizes integrating EI-focused interventions in university curricula to enhance student outcomes. The study recommended integrating EI development programs within university curricula to improve universities' academic engagement and performance.